


Martian Dirge

by Mrs_Spooky



Category: Cowboy Bebop
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-03-24
Updated: 2016-01-28
Packaged: 2018-05-16 20:29:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,402
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5839921
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mrs_Spooky/pseuds/Mrs_Spooky
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>What happened at the Red Dragon when Spike "died" three years previous?</p><p>This story takes place in Mao's home, Annie's shop, various locations</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

# Martian Dirge

## A Cowboy Bebop musing by MrsSpooky

Background/assumptions:

What happened at the Red Dragon when Spike "died" three years previous?

This story takes place in Mao's home, Annie's shop, various locations

Cast: Mao, Annie, Vicious, the Elders

_Posted date: 24-Mar-2010_

* * *

Leaving the audience with the Elders, Mao Yenrai was relieved, even if he was still confused.

His advancing age was a signal that a successor needs to be named. He will retire in a few years and someone had to carry on his work in the Red Dragon. There were several possibilities brought before the Elders, the top two were his own boys, Spike and Vicious. Both had their strong points and their weak points that had to be weighed. Both were brilliant tacticians, and could handle any situation, whether it was hand to hand combat or a firefight. Both had proven themselves over and over again. Vicious was cold. With his upbringing before Mao got him, it was understandable. Mao didn't think anyone loved the kid until he took him in. His care of him didn't seem to produce anything resembling a thaw in that icy person.

Then he found Spike. The child was battered and living on the streets. Sick, hungry and without hope he was, until Mao picked him up and took him too into his home. There WAS that ugly matter of a legal guardian trying to get him back. Kid was orphaned, placed in a foster home through some screw up with the system then lost. Well, Mao found him, and he was his! He was not giving that boy up so he convinced the Red Dragon to use the judge they owned to give him custody. He didn't want him running away, so he managed to convince the boy that his earlier memories of family were a dream. "You're sick and you've been hit on the head. It's just a vivid dream, nothing more." He felt bad doing that to him, but he had fallen in love with that beautiful child and wanted him for his own.

The child regained his health and eagerly took up the training Mao had planned for him. He started him in martial arts training while he was still small, and Spike applied himself with great enthusiasm. His mind was like a sponge, absorbing everything the instructors gave him and he practiced religiously. He was like that with everything he did - if he couldn't do it perfectly, he wouldn't do it at all. War games started, teaching the boys how to shoot and handle weapons and explosives. They loved that, and both Spike and Vicious advanced in skill.

Where Vicious was cold, Spike was warm. The child had a good heart and despite the misfortune in his short past, seemed to really like people. Mao HOPED that some of Spike's warmth would bleed over to Vicious, and it appeared that it did to a point. Vicious was still an icicle, but he did show considerable warmth towards Spike.

Mao's only problem with Spike is that he fundamentally LIKED people.  He had to get over that if he was going to be an effective soldier in the Red Dragon, which is what he was being raised for.  This was what Mao considered his greatest weakness for the leader of the syndicate.  Sure, he was able to muster up the brutality he needed to get the job done, but that was more likely due to Vicious' influence than Mao's.  He sighed.

The Elders had decided that it was to be Spike to succeed him.  They didn't explain their thinking, just told him to make the announcement. Mao fully expected Vicious to be named successor. He had more of a warrior spirit, fancying himself a samurai with that katana he was never without. In Mao's mind, Vicious would be the most logical choice if he could be reined in by the Elders if he got too violent. No, they chose Spike. Mao was not unhappy with the choice, but he didn't understand it.

As soldiers go, Spike was the best. His skills were unmatched by anyone Mao had ever seen. The Elders knew him well. They had to know, like Mao, that deep down, Spike's heart wasn't into waging war. Were they planning on moderating? There had been rumors that the other syndicates were moving away from violent competition towards cooperation. If the Elders were planning on moderating, Mao had been left out of the loop.  If that was the case, then Spike would be the perfect choice.  He was loyal and old-fashioned, but he was also stubborn and had his own ideas of how things should be done.  If the Elders were thinking of moderating, then he thought Spike would go along with it.

In the meeting Mao just concluded, the Elders had informed him that everything was in place - inheritance, succession.  Paperwork was done.  If anything happened to Mao, Spike would be taking his place.  It was now official. 

Mao sighed again as he exited the building. It had finally stopped raining and breaks in the clouds allowed a few rays of afternoon sunshine to briefly appear. His office was several blocks away, and since it had stopped raining, he elected to walk.   There were only a few things he had to finish up then he could head home.  He had spoken to both Spike and Vicious the day before, letting them know that he was expecting them both for dinner this evening.  Both said they'd be there.  He was looking forward to dinner with his boys, Spike especially.  He always remained respectful and thoughtful and was a joy to be around. He had changed though, ever since being put to work.  He couldn't put his finger on it, but Spike stopped talking about what he felt about things, almost as if he was shutting down a part of himself. It never occurred to Mao to ask him if he was happy. Not that it mattered, as this was the only life that was open to him, and Spike knew it.  He had been told numerous times that his future was all planned out for him. The boy was starting to make plans for what he wanted to do when he grew up, and it was best to get those ideas out of his head.  He seemed to accept that fact.  Mao cared about Vicious too, but he felt that the young man hated him and just went through the motions of respect.  Lately, he was getting the feeling that he even hated Spike.  Something had happened between those two. Some serious bad blood had arisen between them that Mao wondered at. _Well, they'll have to work it out on their own. That's their business._

Mao reached his office and attended to the last of the business he had for the day.  There were some reports of a hit that had gone down the evening before, but few details other than there was a shootout and a building that Mao remembered visiting previously was destroyed by a bomb blast and all inside were killed.  HE didn't order any action last night and discounted it as just random data to be filed away and forgotten.  His work completed, it was time to head home.  He had dinner with the boys tonight and he wanted to be ready.  He left, anticipating an at least partly enjoyable evening.  He was looking forward to letting Spike know that his succession was official and now he was to embark on training of a different sort.  He smiled.

Arriving home, he was pleased to see that dinner was nearly ready.  All they need now was his boys.  Vicious was on time, as always.  Mao greeted him warmly, but he got no smile from the young man.  _What am I going to do with him?  After all I've done for him, he just doesn't appreciate it._   Dinner was ready, but Spike hadn't arrived.  A half hour passed and still no Spike.  Mao grew concerned.

"Where's Spike?"  
  
"Haven't seen him."

Irritated, Mao called an associate to have him to find Spike.  _Well, he knows what time dinner is, if it's cold when he gets here, that's his problem._   Mao instructed the cook to fix a plate for Spike. They weren't waiting any longer.  Dinner was quiet.  Vicious didn't feel like talking and just ate the food that was put in front of him.  As soon as he was done eating, he fnished his drink and announced that he had to leave. Some business to attend to.  "Fine.  Glad YOU could make it at least."

The associate called back.  No Spike.  Checked all his haunts, he wasn't there.   "Keep looking" Mao said with growing concern. "Bring more people in if you have to.  I want him found now.  Call me when you hear anything."  

So much for a pleasant evening. _Where IS that boy?_

A half hour later, the phone rang. Nobody had seen him yet today. He failed to show up to meet with his crew that morning and it was thought he overslept, but nobody had seen him. _And nobody called me?!_   There WAS one person who was found who had some information.  He had overheard Spike being told to meet someone the night before.  

"Do you know where?"  

The address was given and Mao tried to remember why it sounded familiar.  He hung up and sat down heavily when he remembered the report he had read of the hit the night before.  Spike had been told to meet someone at the building that was hit!  

The phone rang again, this time from an informant with the ISSP.  He had just received information about the hit from the previous evening and thought he should tell Mao.  Spike was the target.  The informant was very sorry, but Spike's dead.

 

   
  
---  
  
© 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016- stories by MrsSpooky are owned by MrsSpooky, but based on Cowboy Bebop. Spike Spiegel, Jet Black, the ship Bebop, images and cultural universe are owned by Sunrise Studios, Inc.  God bless you, Hajime Yatate!! The stories themselves and original characters not from the show are mine.  
             See you space cowboy ...    
  
---


	2. Chapter 2

# Martian Dirge

## A Cowboy Bebop musing by MrsSpooky

Background/assumptions:

What happened at the Red Dragon when Spike "died" three years previous?

This story takes place in Mao's home, Annie's shop, various locations

Cast: Mao, Annie, Vicious, the Elders

_Posted date: 24-Mar-2010_

* * *

Leaving the audience with the Elders, Mao Yenrai was relieved, even if he was still confused.

His advancing age was a signal that a successor needs to be named. He will retire in a few years and someone had to carry on his work in the Red Dragon. There were several possibilities brought before the Elders, the top two were his own boys, Spike and Vicious. Both had their strong points and their weak points that had to be weighed. Both were brilliant tacticians, and could handle any situation, whether it was hand to hand combat or a firefight. Both had proven themselves over and over again. Vicious was cold. With his upbringing before Mao got him, it was understandable. Mao didn't think anyone loved the kid until he took him in. His care of him didn't seem to produce anything resembling a thaw in that icy person.

Then he found Spike. The child was battered and living on the streets. Sick, hungry and without hope he was, until Mao picked him up and took him too into his home. There WAS that ugly matter of a legal guardian trying to get him back. Kid was orphaned, placed in a foster home through some screw up with the system then lost. Well, Mao found him, and he was his! He was not giving that boy up so he convinced the Red Dragon to use the judge they owned to give him custody. He didn't want him running away, so he managed to convince the boy that his earlier memories of family were a dream. "You're sick and you've been hit on the head. It's just a vivid dream, nothing more." He felt bad doing that to him, but he had fallen in love with that beautiful child and wanted him for his own.

The child regained his health and eagerly took up the training Mao had planned for him. He started him in martial arts training while he was still small, and Spike applied himself with great enthusiasm. His mind was like a sponge, absorbing everything the instructors gave him and he practiced religiously. He was like that with everything he did - if he couldn't do it perfectly, he wouldn't do it at all. War games started, teaching the boys how to shoot and handle weapons and explosives. They loved that, and both Spike and Vicious advanced in skill.

Where Vicious was cold, Spike was warm. The child had a good heart and despite the misfortune in his short past, seemed to really like people. Mao HOPED that some of Spike's warmth would bleed over to Vicious, and it appeared that it did to a point. Vicious was still an icicle, but he did show considerable warmth towards Spike.

Mao's only problem with Spike is that he fundamentally LIKED people.  He had to get over that if he was going to be an effective soldier in the Red Dragon, which is what he was being raised for.  This was what Mao considered his greatest weakness for the leader of the syndicate.  Sure, he was able to muster up the brutality he needed to get the job done, but that was more likely due to Vicious' influence than Mao's.  He sighed.

The Elders had decided that it was to be Spike to succeed him.  They didn't explain their thinking, just told him to make the announcement. Mao fully expected Vicious to be named successor. He had more of a warrior spirit, fancying himself a samurai with that katana he was never without. In Mao's mind, Vicious would be the most logical choice if he could be reined in by the Elders if he got too violent. No, they chose Spike. Mao was not unhappy with the choice, but he didn't understand it.

As soldiers go, Spike was the best. His skills were unmatched by anyone Mao had ever seen. The Elders knew him well. They had to know, like Mao, that deep down, Spike's heart wasn't into waging war. Were they planning on moderating? There had been rumors that the other syndicates were moving away from violent competition towards cooperation. If the Elders were planning on moderating, Mao had been left out of the loop.  If that was the case, then Spike would be the perfect choice.  He was loyal and old-fashioned, but he was also stubborn and had his own ideas of how things should be done.  If the Elders were thinking of moderating, then he thought Spike would go along with it.

In the meeting Mao just concluded, the Elders had informed him that everything was in place - inheritance, succession.  Paperwork was done.  If anything happened to Mao, Spike would be taking his place.  It was now official. 

Mao sighed again as he exited the building. It had finally stopped raining and breaks in the clouds allowed a few rays of afternoon sunshine to briefly appear. His office was several blocks away, and since it had stopped raining, he elected to walk.   There were only a few things he had to finish up then he could head home.  He had spoken to both Spike and Vicious the day before, letting them know that he was expecting them both for dinner this evening.  Both said they'd be there.  He was looking forward to dinner with his boys, Spike especially.  He always remained respectful and thoughtful and was a joy to be around. He had changed though, ever since being put to work.  He couldn't put his finger on it, but Spike stopped talking about what he felt about things, almost as if he was shutting down a part of himself. It never occurred to Mao to ask him if he was happy. Not that it mattered, as this was the only life that was open to him, and Spike knew it.  He had been told numerous times that his future was all planned out for him. The boy was starting to make plans for what he wanted to do when he grew up, and it was best to get those ideas out of his head.  He seemed to accept that fact.  Mao cared about Vicious too, but he felt that the young man hated him and just went through the motions of respect.  Lately, he was getting the feeling that he even hated Spike.  Something had happened between those two. Some serious bad blood had arisen between them that Mao wondered at. _Well, they'll have to work it out on their own. That's their business._

Mao reached his office and attended to the last of the business he had for the day.  There were some reports of a hit that had gone down the evening before, but few details other than there was a shootout and a building that Mao remembered visiting previously was destroyed by a bomb blast and all inside were killed.  HE didn't order any action last night and discounted it as just random data to be filed away and forgotten.  His work completed, it was time to head home.  He had dinner with the boys tonight and he wanted to be ready.  He left, anticipating an at least partly enjoyable evening.  He was looking forward to letting Spike know that his succession was official and now he was to embark on training of a different sort.  He smiled.

Arriving home, he was pleased to see that dinner was nearly ready.  All they need now was his boys.  Vicious was on time, as always.  Mao greeted him warmly, but he got no smile from the young man.  _What am I going to do with him?  After all I've done for him, he just doesn't appreciate it._   Dinner was ready, but Spike hadn't arrived.  A half hour passed and still no Spike.  Mao grew concerned.

"Where's Spike?"  
  
"Haven't seen him."

Irritated, Mao called an associate to have him to find Spike.  _Well, he knows what time dinner is, if it's cold when he gets here, that's his problem._   Mao instructed the cook to fix a plate for Spike. They weren't waiting any longer.  Dinner was quiet.  Vicious didn't feel like talking and just ate the food that was put in front of him.  As soon as he was done eating, he fnished his drink and announced that he had to leave. Some business to attend to.  "Fine.  Glad YOU could make it at least."

The associate called back.  No Spike.  Checked all his haunts, he wasn't there.   "Keep looking" Mao said with growing concern. "Bring more people in if you have to.  I want him found now.  Call me when you hear anything."  

So much for a pleasant evening. _Where IS that boy?_

A half hour later, the phone rang. Nobody had seen him yet today. He failed to show up to meet with his crew that morning and it was thought he overslept, but nobody had seen him. _And nobody called me?!_   There WAS one person who was found who had some information.  He had overheard Spike being told to meet someone the night before.  

"Do you know where?"  

The address was given and Mao tried to remember why it sounded familiar.  He hung up and sat down heavily when he remembered the report he had read of the hit the night before.  Spike had been told to meet someone at the building that was hit!  

The phone rang again, this time from an informant with the ISSP.  He had just received information about the hit from the previous evening and thought he should tell Mao.  Spike was the target.  The informant was very sorry, but Spike's dead.

 

   
  
---  
  
© 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016- stories by MrsSpooky are owned by MrsSpooky, but based on Cowboy Bebop. Spike Spiegel, Jet Black, the ship Bebop, images and cultural universe are owned by Sunrise Studios, Inc.  God bless you, Hajime Yatate!! The stories themselves and original characters not from the show are mine.  
             See you space cowboy ...    
  
---


End file.
